2021 VERNON BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21 AT 7:00 PM

THIS YEARS AGM WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM.
THE MEETING ID AND PASSCODE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON
OUR WEB SITE. ALL MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.
2021 SEASON REGISTRANTS ARE ENTITLED TO 1 VOTE
PER FAMILY. MUST BE 19 OR OLDER TO VOTE.

THERE ARE A NUMBER Of VACANT POSITIONS OPEN TO INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS:
MIDGET DIRECTOR, PERWEE DIRECTOR, SECRETARY, UNIFORM
DIRECTOR, SPONSORSHIP DIRECTOR, UMPIRE COORDINATOR

Click Here to join us on Zoom

If you want to join by phone you can find your local number here

Download the AGM Agenda and Reports

I am sure most of you have now heard that on Tuesday, May 25th, our PHO orders changed to open us up to game play. This is great news for us and will allow to get some competitive games going very soon. I ask that everyone continue to remain vigilant and continue to follow our existing practice plans for now while I prepare and update our Return to Play documentation and align it with the PHO, Baseball BC and the City of Vernon and Coldstream. I do expect this will take us a few days to ensure the safety of everyone and that we continue to be aligned to the PHO guidelines.

Even though gameplay is being opened up we are still restricted to NO spectators. Team volunteer positions will still be available as we have utilized them over the past few weeks but this does not open us up to filling up the parks. For clarification on what is now allowed see Phase 2 Stage 2 below:

In Phase 2 Stage 2 The following activities are currently permitted;

• Team training / development (practice)
• Live batting practice
• Scrimmage and Inter-squad games
• In Club game play

The following activities are not permitted;

• Travel for competition
• Tournaments

Baseball specific guidelines in place at this time;

• Participants must maintain a physical distance of three metres from one another when not playing and active in game play.
• Spectators are not permitted per the current PHO order. (Defined as games, competitions, tournaments, training, or practice).
• Masks are required in all indoor public settings. (As defined by the current public order)
• Verbal symptom screening and attendance tracking must be performed daily.
• Stay home if youre sick.

While this is going on the Executive Board will be meeting on Sunday to put together plans for a schedule and what we will come back to everyone with in terms of the possibility of extending our Spring season. Initially our spring season was intended to run until roughly June 18th. My intention will be to look to a add a few weeks to that season to allow us to get in some competitive games and some type of wrap up. Our division directors will reach out to each division once we have determined the best path forward.

Thank you for your continued patience as we work through this and get competitive play back on our fields.

Regards,
Michael Sanfilippo
President Vernon Baseball

We are excited to announce our annual summer camps at Elks Stadium, downtown Kelowna. We have three camps this summer, 2 High Performance camps and 1 development camp. All camps follow Baseball BC Return to Play Protocols and the safety of our staff and campers is our priority.

These camps will feature lots of great instructional components on many different aspects, from hitting, pitching, fielding and everything between. Check out each camp link for specific on what we will be covering and what camp fits for you.

We have limited space this year with only 20 participants in each week.

Click Here for More Information

COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

• Are you interested in coaching?
• Have you signed up to coach/volunteer but have no idea where to start?
• Are you a seasoned veteran having coached for years but looking for some new ideas?

Each year Baseball BC puts on an outstanding coaching clinic, the typical issue is that it requires travel, overnight stays, and a lot of time. For years any coaches that have gone to the event have always come back saying it was worth the time and energy. This year due to COVID, the entire coaches clinic will be done virtually online. 3 days, 25 speakers and a wide range of topics from T-ball to the pros.

The clinic is March 26-28th and registration opens on Feb 26th.

The cost is only $50 and Vernon baseball will reimburse any coach or volunteer that registers and attends the clinic. The clinic does count toward NCCP coach training credits.

If you are interested in honing your coaching skills or just want to listen in please feel free to register and save your receipt for reimbursement. If you have any questions, you can reach out to myself (president@vernonbaseball.com)or Matthew Brown at (vicepresident@vernonbaseball.com).

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the fields.

Michael Sanfilippo

President VBA

2021 SPRING BALL REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Register now for the following divisions

7U T-Ball (born 2014-2015)
9U Tadpole (born 2012-2013)
11U Mosquito (born 2010-2011)
13U Pee Wee A (born 2008-2009)
15U Bantam A (born 2006-2007)
18U Midget AA (born 2003-2005

Registrations will be accepted until divisions are full or until March 15th at which time all additional registrations will be placed on a wait list and only accepted as space is available.

Attention all 2021 season Midget (2003-2005) and PeeWee (2008-2009) aged players. Its Vernon Baseballs intent to field an 18U AA Midget team and a 13U AAA/AA PeeWee team this season. BC Baseballs rules now have some of these divisions playing a single season from April August long weekend and associations must commit to their ability to field a team in early February.

Therefore, players interested in trying out for either the 18U AA Midget or 13U AAA/AA PeeWee teams, must register by January 31 st , 2021. Registration for these two teams opens January 1, 2021. Please be advised that payment in full by credit card is required. Alternative arrangements can be made by emailing Shannon Sanfilippo atregistrar@vernonbaseball.comor if you are unable to register on-line.

Any general questions regarding the 18U AA Midget Team can be emailed to Neil Thompson atmidget@vernonbaseball.com. and for the 13U AAA/AA to Matt Davyduke or Jason Coulter atpeewee@vernonbaseball.com.

Register Here

Reposted from the Vernon Morning Star

Four Vernon baseball diamonds will have welcome electronic additions in 2021.

Vernon Baseball Association has partnered with the Funtastic Sports Society and City of Vernon to install scoreboards at two diamonds at Marshall Field, and two boards at the diamonds at Lakeview Park.

VBA president Michael Sanfilippo said the scoreboards will continue to showcase Vernon as a phenomenal place to play baseball in the Okanagan.

A big thank you to the City of Vernon, the Funtastic team, Nathan Lee, our field director for working so hard on bringing this to reality and to Kendra Kryszak, with the citys parks department, for fighting so hard for us behind the scenes, said Sanfilippo. These scoreboards will really enhance the look and feel of the fields for the kids and parents as well as enhance our bids to continue to bring provincial championship tournaments to Vernon.

Vernon recently hosted the B.C. 13UAAA and 11UAAA Tier 2 provincial tournaments in 2018. The 11U event at Lakeview, and the 13U tourney at Creekside Park, featured homemade, hand-operated scoreboards for the provincials. That started the movement to get electric scoreboards at some of the minor baseball diamonds.

Funds generated from those provincial events helped minor baseball with the scoreboards which will be donated by Funtastic, and the City of Vernon will cover $15,000 of the installation costs (Vernon Baseball will pick up the rest).

The city will also provide $6,000 in maintenance annually for the scoreboards.

The Midget diamond at Marshall Field is planning for an 18-by-six-foot board with innings and the whole nine yards as described by Sanfilippo. The Bantam field at Marshall and the two Lakeview Park fields that host the Mosquito leagues are planning to get 10-by-four-foot boards that highlight the score, inning, outs, and balls and strikes.

This year (2020) was a tough year for all youth athletics but we are thrilled to be looking forward and working together with great partners to enhance youth sports in Vernon, Sanfilippo said.